‘I’ll put my hand up’: Warner vows to make Test return

DAVID Warner has delivered his most extensive interview since the Cape Town ball-tampering saga, vowing he will return to Australia's Test side and "shut out" any criticisms aimed at him.

The suspended batsman was speaking after his first appearance in Darwin's Strike League, where he made a competitive 36 off 32 balls, including five fours and one six.

Warner was reportedly subject to some ridicule from the sidelines, but he insisted he remained unfazed by comments and would continue to work to improve the public's perception of him.

"I'm here to play cricket and I love doing that. I wouldn't be here today and continue to keep working my backside off to keep scoring runs for each team that I play for if I didn't love it," Warner told reporters.

"I wouldn't be here, I'd probably retire."

Asked if he believed he would return to Australia's Test team when his suspension ended, the 31-year-old said: "One hundred per cent, if they select me. I'll be putting my hand up as much as I can.

"This (Strike League) is just a little stepping stone to continue my progress to enable myself to keep scoring as many runs as I can for every single team I play for in the next eight months.

"The next eight months, I can reflect on what's happened and move forward to be a better person, cricketer and a better leader."

Warner also revealed he remained close with fellow suspended batsman Cameron Bancroft, whose company he had been enjoying in Darwin before the start of the competition.

"He (Bancroft) bought me breakfast this morning - I bought him dinner the other night and we're good mates," Warner said.

Warner played an entertaining innings, opening the batting for the City Cyclones in a one-day match at another "MCG" - the Marrara Cricket Ground.

He was caught and bowled after top-edging a delivery and took a catch himself during the opposition Northern Tide's innings.

Bancroft was playing on an oval adjacent to Warner's in the same competition on Saturday.

The pair have chosen the Top End, where cricket is played in the middle of the year, to play while suspended from the top level.

With AAP

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